Ringworm

Ringworm, or tinea (TIH-nee-uh), is a fungal infection of the skin,
scalp, or nails. It usually causes red, dry, flaky skin.

KEYWORDS

for searching the Internet and other reference sources

Athlete's foot

Dermatophyte Jock itch

Microsporum

Tinea

Trichophyton

What Is Ringworm?

Despite its name, ringworm is not caused by a worm but by mold-like fungi
known as dermatophytes (dur-MAH-toh-fites) that thrive in the top layer of
the skin, in the scalp, and in nails. Several different but related types
of fungi, including those in the
Trichophyton
and
Microsporum
species, cause ringworm infection on different parts of the body. All of
these infections are known as tinea infections.

Fungal infections take their names from the part of the body where they
occur, so tinea corporis is ringworm on the body; tinea unguium is
ringworm of the nails; tinea capitis is ringworm of the scalp; tinea
cruris is ringworm of the groin (commonly called jock itch); and tinea
pedis is ringworm of the feet (also known as athlete's foot). The
same fungi that infect humans can infect cats and dogs as well, and people
can contract the disease from both people and pets.

Damaged skin is more vulnerable to infection, as is skin in warm, moist
areas. When the fungus takes hold, it typically causes a ring-like rash of
red, flaking skin. The border of the rash may be raised, as if a worm were
under the skin. The rash's shape and this raised edge led people to
call the infection ringworm. When the nails are infected, they usually
become yellow, thickened, and brittle.

Is Ringworm Common?

Ringworm is widespread in many countries, including the United States.
Tinea corporis and tinea capitis infections most often occur in children,
although they are found in people of all ages. The other types of
ringworm, especially jock itch and athlete's foot, are more common
in adolescents and adults.

How Do People Contract Ringworm?

Ringworm is contagious and spreads through direct contact with an infected
person or pet. People also can contract the fungus from soil or from
surfaces and things that an infected person has touched, such as toys, a
pillow, or the locker room floor. Once someone is infected, that person is
contagious until the telltale rash starts to shrink. The fading of the
ring indicates that the fungus is no longer present.

Latin Lesson

Capitis (KAH-pih-tis): from the Latin word for head

Corporis (KOR-poor-us): the Latin word for body

Cruris (KRU-ris): from the Latin word for leg

Pedis (PEE-dis): the Latin word for foot

Unguium (UN-gwee-um): from the Latin word for nail

How Do People Know They Have Ringworm?

As anyone who has had the infection knows, the symptoms of ringworm are
annoying rather than serious. The most common signs are itching
around the infected area, dry skin, and a red, ring-shaped rash. Over
time the borders of the rash spread outward and the center clears, leaving
a circle of red around normal skin. Sometimes the central patch in the
rash is filled with pus
*
, and the borders may be dry and scaly or moist and crusty.

Ringworm on the scalp can cause a temporary bald patch or areas of scaly,
flaky skin, occasionally with a red, swollen spot. Infected nails become
yellow, thickened, and brittle, and athlete's foot often appears as
red, cracked, peeling skin between the toes.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Ringworm?

In many infected patients, doctors can identify tinea just by looking at
the skin, scalp, or nails. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may take a
scraping of the suspect area to be examined under a microscope for signs
of the fungus. The scraping also can be cultured
*
to see if any fungi grow from it. Because some types of fungi glow under
ultraviolet
*
(UV) light, the doctor may shine a UV lamp on the rash to see if any part
of it lights up. This can help identify the fungus causing the infection.

How Is Ringworm Treated?

Doctors prescribe antifungal cream, ointment, or shampoo for most cases of
infection. More advanced cases also may require oral (by mouth) medicine,
including all cases of tinea capitis and tinea unguium.

Patients typically need to use the cream, ointment, or shampoo for at
least 2 weeks. However, some patients may need to use medicine for several
weeks or months, depending on the extent and location of the infection.
Beyond that, it may take even more time for skin to heal completely or for
healthy nails and hair to grow back.

Ringworm may be irritating, but it causes almost no complications. Without
treatment, the infection can linger for many months, and infected nails
may fall off. Sometimes areas that have been attacked by the fungus
develop infection from bacteria because the damaged skin is more
vulnerable.

Can Ringworm Be Prevented?

The best way to prevent ringworm is to practice good hygiene, like bathing
and changing underclothes every day. Keeping the skin clean and dry will
discourage the fungus from taking hold. Not sharing personal items such as
brushes, towels, and clothing (especially gym shoes) will limit the spread
of ringworm between people. In addition, washing an infected
person's clothing and bedding frequently can help keep the
infection from spreading to others. If a household pet develops ringworm,
doctors advise the family to talk to a veterinarian and avoid direct
contact with the animal, like cuddling and patting, until the rash heals.

*
pus
is a thick, creamy fluid, usually yellow or greenish in color, that
forms at the site of an infection. Pus contains infection-fighting white
cells and other substances.

*
cultured
(KUL-churd) means subjected to a test in which a sample of fluid or
tissue from the body is placed in a dish containing material that
supports the growth of certain organisms. Typically, within days the
organisms will grow and can be identified.

*
ultraviolet
light is a wavelength of light beyond visible light; on the spectrum of
light, it falls between the violet end of visible light and X rays.

Athlete's foot can flourish when the skin on the feet, especially
between the toes, stays moist. Removing shoes and socks to allow moisture
from sweat to dry, carefully drying feet after showering, and changing
socks daily can help ward off the fungus. Wearing slip-on sandals instead
of going barefoot in public places such as locker rooms and gym showers
can reduce the risk of picking up tinea from surfaces an infected person
has touched.

Resources

Organization

U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD
20894. The National Library of Medicine has a website packed with
information on diseases such as ringworm, consumer resources,
dictionaries and encyclopedias of medical terms, and directories of
doctors and helpful organizations.
Telephone 888-346-3656
http://www.nlm.nih.gov

Website

KidsHealth.org
. KidsHealth is a website created by the medical experts of the Nemours
Foundation and is devoted to issues of children's health. It
contains articles on a variety of health topics, including ringworm.
http://www.KidsHealth.org

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